Bullying is a major problem in schools, and it seems like it's only getting worse. It feels like everyday we hear another story of a child being bullied, or worse, harming themselves because they just can't take it anymore. Kids bully and are bullied for so many different reasons, but when we hear a story like this one out of New Jersey, we can't help but feel especially angry about what is happening in this country and how it's affecting our children. This is a particularly difficult story, and not just because of the brutality displayed by actual kids.

A mother in New Jersey was beaten unconscious after she attempted to get in between her son and a group of bullies who were attacking him. The woman, Beronica Ruiz, was walking down the street with her 1-year-old baby and 13-year-old son when they were attacked. Her attorney, Daniel Santiago, says that the conflict began at school the day before. A group of students began taunting another group of students (which included Ruiz's son) in the cafeteria with chants saying "Go back to Mexico".

Ruiz's son, who is an American citizen, responded to the chants with "We all come from immigrants". The bullies threatened to beat up the boy after school, prompting him to tell a teacher's aide that he was scared. The aide told a security guard, and Ruiz's son was sequestered in a room by himself for the rest of the day (no word on why the school chose to punish the victim and not the perpetrators).

The following day, Ruiz picked up her son from school and began walking home, when they were followed by the group of bullies from school. A 13-year-old boy in the group took a swing at Ruiz's son, knocking him to the ground. Ruiz put herself between her son and the attacker, and he then punched her in the face. She temporarily lost consciousness and fell to the sidewalk. When she came to, she called police and was treated at the hospital for facial fractures and a concussion.

The 13-year-old attacker was arrested and charged with aggravated assault. He was later released to the custody of his parents. The school, Passaic Gifted and Talented Academy, has offered to pay for Ruiz's medical care. Since news of the attack got out, Ruiz's attorney says other parents have come forward to tell him their kids have also been bullied by the same group of students.